A journey to search my soul

This is a blog of my personal collections. The purpose of this blog is to educate myself and public in regards to antiquities especially related to religion and calligraphy. I welcome everyone to input their feedback in this blog which they think would be helpful. I do not watermark the photos in this blog so everyone is free to use them as long as they are not used for illegal and unethical reasons. I appreciate if you could notify me if you plan to use any of the photos here. Enjoy browsing!!

This is one of the best reference books on the history of Arabic calligraphy. Dr Alain George has successfully presented the genesis of the Arabic calligraphy in a very organized, concise and clear way. Early Arabic scripts prior to Islam from various mediums were analyzed and Dr Alain george has created a smooth connection from that era to our present matured Arabic calligraphy.
I appreciate Dr George effort in putting so many illustrations in his book as it definitely helps me to visualize and understand the subject better.
This is a very well researched book and I recommend this book to everyone who is interested in the developement of Arabic calligraphy.

This is an old Persian Paper Mache Pen case ( Qalamdan) which measures
10-3/4" long 7-1/2" in circumference. It is beautifully lacquered in a
floral motif and aroyal lady figure with beautiful bright colors.
This is a typical Persian Qalamdan with rounded ends and sliding trays, painted in polychrome and gilt, covers and sides with bulbuls
perched amidst wild roses and apple blossoms, inside drawers colored in black

This is a rare and important prutah of the 1st Jewish War against Rome in the year 2 ( 67-68 CE). The year two representing the reign year of Procurator of Judea, Marcus Antonius Julianus. Nero was the Roman Emperor during this Revolt.
This is a bronze mite/Lepton often referred as the "Masada coin" because a large number of them were found atop the desert fortress overlooking the Dead sea.

First Jewish Revolt coinage was issued by the Jews after the Zealots captured Jerusalem and the Jewish temple from the Romans in 66 AD at the beginning of the First Jewish Revolt. The Jewish leaders of the revolt minted their own coins to emphasize their newly obtained independence from Rome.
During the second (67–68 AD) and third (69–70 AD) years of the revolt bronzeprutah coins were issued, depicting an amphora, and with the date and the Hebrew inscription (חרות ציון Herut Zion)"The Freedom of Zion"

The lepton (plural: lepta) and prutah (plural: prutot) were the lowest denomination
coins that circulated in Jerusalem during Roman. Lepta were often carelessly
and crudely struck, usually off center and on small flans. Because they
circulated for a long period, they are most often very worn and legends
are usually illegible." ( edited ref Numiswiki)

Causes of the War of 66-70

In 66, the Roman emperor Nero
needed money, and ordered his representative in Judaea,
Gessius Florus, to confiscate it from the Temple treasure. The governor
was not amused when some Jewish jokers passed the hat round for "that poor
procurator
Florus" (Flavius
Josephus, Jewish
War, 2.295). He demanded their punishment, but when his
policemen could not find the mockers, he had some passersby arrested and
crucified.
Of course this was tactless and brutal, but it it would not have led
to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple if there had not been one
or two deeper causes. The obvious reason why this incident led to war,
was the religious tension between the Jewish populace and the Roman government.
However, the Roman governors and the Temple authorities had found practical
solutions to deal with these problems.
The real reason for the war was the impoverishment of the Jewish peasantry.
Sixty years of Roman taxation had meant only one thing: the Jews had to
pay money, which was spent in Italy and on the border. Judaea had become
substantially poorer and many peasants had been forced first to mortgage
and then to sell their land. Besides, in Jerusalem many people had become
unemployed when he renovation of the temple was finished in 63. The peasants
and artsians had a reason to fight, and they were willing to do so.
There may have been a portent that gave them hope. There was a prophecy
in the book of Numbers (24.17) that 'a star shall come forth out of Jacob,
a scepter shall rise out of Israel', which was commonly taken to be a prediction of the Messiah. At the end of 64, there had been a comet (Tacitus, Annals, 15.47), which must have made a discontent populace even more discontent.
For some time, the Temple authorities had been able to check the peasant's
anger. But in the third quarter of the first century, most people considered
the high priesthood corrupt. The war of 66-70 was not only a war between
the Romans and Jews, it was also a class struggle.

Thursday, March 26, 2015

This is a beautifully written
Quran manuscript originated from South East Asia. Every Juz first page is decorated with Surah Al Kahf full decorated in the middle. Few pages from the beginning and the ending of this Quran missing. Unfortunately this Quran is in a bad shape with most of the pages damp and covered with fungus. I have a plan to treat this Quran when I have some spare time. This manuscript is written in
Malay-Naskh
calligraphy in black ink on Dutch beige paper 15 lines to a page. .All headings are written in red with every “ ayaah”or verses are separated by small red circle.

The borders of the pages are ruled double black line. About
200+ leaves ( 400+ pages). This Quran is undated but we estimated it
from 18th century.I
acquired this manuscript from a friend in Indonesia in 2014.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

This is a lithographed bible/Christian Prayers book.Written beautifully in German. I bought this book in Vienna recently.Covers made of leather wrapped around hard boards. This prayer book is pocket size of 180mm x70mm.This book is dated 1798 CE. I dont understand the language hence its very difficult for me to make out what the title is. When I purchase this item, I was told that it was a prayer book and written in German.

Monday, March 23, 2015

This is a metal weighing scale from Ottoman era used to measure jewelry or coin. Made of bronze and various signatures inscribed on the weighing cup or saucer
Both saucers are inscribed with date in Islam Hijra 1276 which is equivalent to 1859 CE.

Friday, March 20, 2015

This is an undated pitis coin which I believed from Sultanate Terengganu from late 18th Century or early 19th Century. I could decipher the writing on the obverse about 80% however the reverse is totally indecipherable. The obverse is I am not mistaken written in Arabic, " Sultan Zainal Abidin Mansur Syah"
Searching from some Coin Catalogs & history books, I couldnt find any coin similar to the one in question. But the name of the Sultan existed in Sultan Terengganu Lineage which is Sultan Zainal Abidin Shah II ( 1793-1808CE) and his father is Sultan Mansur Shah I. Hence could it be that the name of the Sultan of this coin referring to him as Sultan Zainal Abidin (bin) Mansur Shah? I open this theory to any comments.

Terengganu was an important trading centre in the 13th Century. Later it
became a vassal state of the Majapahit Empire of Java. By the end of
the 14th Century, a Muslim community is known to have flourished in
Terengganu. Subsequently, it became a tributary state of the Malacca
Empire in the 15th Century.After the fall of Malacca Empire, Terengganu
was claimed by the Johor Empire as part of the territories inherited
from the former Malacca Empire.In the 17th Century, Johor ruler's
brother was proclaimed as the first ruler of Terengganu. ( from Saran
Singh's)

This is a small manuscript on various Talismanic written in an old Turkish & Arabic languages. Acquired from Istanbul Bazaar in Turkey. No colophone however there is a page narrated an event and dated 1130 AH which is equivalent to 1717 C.E, hence the writing of this manuscript must have been earlier.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

This is a tin coin from Johore Sultanate era. This type of coin is called cash or katun. It is undated but probably from the 18th Century based on the classification made by Major Fred Pridmore.In Saran Singh's this is classified as Group D-Octogonal-class IIX.
The coin in question here is more round or probably the octagonal edges all were worn out leaving it almost round shape. However I suspected this coin is round when it was made based on the dots which rim the coin in circle instead of in octagon

Johor is located in the
southern tip of Peninsular of Malaysia as well as the most southern
point of the Asian Continent. The name of Johor originated from the
Arabic word Jawhar which means jewel. It is also known by its Arabic
honorific, Darul Takzim ( Abode of Dignity).The
Sultanate of Johor was founded by Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah II , the
son of exiled last Sultan of Malacca ( Sultan Mahmud Shah) in 1528 CE.
Johor was part of Malaccan Sultanate prior to Malacca occupation by
Portuguese in 1511 CE.

Monday, March 16, 2015

This is an undated pitis coin from Sultanate Terengganu from late 18th Century or early 19th Century

Terengganu was an important trading centre in the 13th Century. Later it became a vassal state of the Majapahit Empire of Java. By the end of the 14th Century, a Muslim community is known to have flourished in Terengganu. Subsequently, it became a tributary state of the Malacca Empire in the 15th Century.After the fall of Malacca Empire, Terengganu was claimed by the Johor Empire as part of the territories inherited from the former Malacca Empire.In the 17th Century, Johor ruler's brother was proclaimed as the first ruler of Terengganu. ( from Saran Singh's)

Saturday, March 14, 2015

This is a metal stylus originating from India.I acquired this stylus from Chennai in 2015.
Stylus is a sharp pointed at one end and blunt on the other. Stylus is used to incise a writing on a palm leaf. The incision is later filled with carbon powder from lamp flame so that the writing is readable.
See below my palm leaf manuscripts which were written using stylus :Bali Lontar 01Bali Lontar 02Bali Lontar 03Quran Lontar

I attended a training workshop at Hepzibah Institute in Chennai from 2-7 March 2015. Though it was a training on the conversation of paintings, I learned some tips on conserving manuscripts as well. The course was conducted by Dr. V. Jeyaraj who himself is the director of the Institute. He is a big name in India as well as overseas in relation to Indian paintings and arts.

The workshop was very dynamic and full of hands on exercises on real antique paintings of every medium such as canvas, paper, leather, rock, palm leaf, etc. A lot of restoring techniques were tought and I were such fortunate to be in this class.

I could relate what I learnt from the codicology course which I took in 2012 in Cambridge University with this conservation workshop.
I get to know some of the chemicals used to restore manuscripts and paintings and had the opportunity to handle them for restoring.
We went to few places of interest such as museums, chemical laboratory, Institute of arts, historical buildings and gallery.My course mates who were from different career and academic backgrounds were so friendly and it took me no time to feel as if we were a family.
At the end of the course I submitted a dissertation with title, " The Care and Maintenance of Manuscripts & Paintings on Palm Leaf in India". Once I received the grade, Insyallah I will post it in this blog.
Even though the workshop doesn't make me an expert, but at least I know some basics in dealing and restoring my manuscripts.

Friday, March 13, 2015

This is a tin coin from Kelantan Sultanate ( 1770-1882 CE).
Kelantan is a state of Malaysia located in the northeastern of
Peninsular of Malaysia. The name of Kelantan originated from the Malay
word Kilatan which means shiny/glittery. It is also known by its Arabic
honorific, Darul Naim ( Abode of Blessed).

The Sultanate of Kelantan was founded since the 15th century by Sultan
Iskandar Shah and later ruled by his son Sultan Mansur Shah till 1526
CE. The reign continues till today and the present Kelantan Sultan is
Sultan Muhammad V